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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25876369">"You've Never Been Anything But Trouble"</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProtoNeoRomantic/pseuds/MyEvilTwin'>MyEvilTwin (ProtoNeoRomantic)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Here to Watch Girls [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(It's not just for crazy religious people anymore), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angel drinks human blood, Angel lies about other things too, Baby Mama Drama, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexuality, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Demons Made Them Do It, Discussion of Abortion, Diverse family structures, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Trauma, Episode: s01e03 The Witch, Episode: s01e05 Never Kill a Boy On The First Date, Episode: s01e07 Angel, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Homeschooling, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Multiple Relationships, Murder, Mutual Non-Con, Mutually Unrequited, Polyamory, Rating May Change, Religion &amp; Politics, SDHS Diaspora, School district in chaos, Scoobies are a bunch of BAMFs!, Series Rewrite, Succubi &amp; Incubi, Teen Pregnancy, The Feeling Is Mutual, Vampire Xander Harris hates Giles's guts, Vampire with a soul, Vampires, Witches, YES SHE IS TOO!, accidentally on purpose abortion, demons in the scoobie gang, partially possessed Giles, vampires can love without a soul</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:14:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25876369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProtoNeoRomantic/pseuds/MyEvilTwin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As the real truth behind Amy's witchcraft, Ira's murder and an amazing number of other secrets threaten to come to light, Giles, Buffy, and the Slayerettes find themselves in some uncomfortable alliances and making some inconvenient enemies.  Also, no one's parents are happy with them at all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amy Madison &amp; Willow Rosenberg, Angel/Buffy Summers, Cordelia Chase/Rupert Giles, Ira Rosenberg &amp; Sheila Rosenberg &amp; Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles &amp; Sheila Martini &amp; Willow Rosenberg &amp; Buffy Summers, Rupert Giles &amp; Xander Harris, Rupert Giles/Buffy Summers, Rupert Giles/Gwendolyn Post, Rupert Giles/Sheila Martini, Rupert Giles/Willow Rosenberg, Willow Rosenberg/Buffy Summers, Xander Harris/Willow Rosenberg, slight Rupert Giles/women in general</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Here to Watch Girls [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/289877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. “I Shall Look Upon My Enemy”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Xander: Well, how do we reverse the spell?<br/>Giles: Well I, I've been researching that … we can reverse all the spells if … we can just lay our 	hands on, on Amy's spell book.<br/>Willow: And if we can't get a hold of it?<br/>Giles: Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off.<br/>Xander: Show of hands!<br/>~BTVS 1.3, Witch</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Sheila, don't be ridiculous!” Ira's murderer scolded the scariest, sluttiest girl in the tenth grade, his voice bristling with ultra-English dignity and unearned authority. “You cannot go alone and that is final!” High-handed Limey bastard! Like he had any right to show his face in Willow's house after what he'd done there less than two days ago; never mind a right to decide anything for, about, or near her!</p><p>Xander couldn't see the scene playing out downstairs right now; but he could hear it, and he could smell it; and that was more than enough. If he'd had to actually look at the lying son-of-a-bitch at the same time, he'd have probably drained the motherfucker dry before he could stop himself. That couldn't happen. He would have no hope of a future with Willow after that.</p><p>“Like Hell!” Sheila shouted back at this 'Giles' person. “You have to stay here and protect Willow!”</p><p>“Excuse You!” Willow tried to speak up for herself, but they both kept shouting over her, fighting to make decisions that should have been hers. Trying Xander's very thin patience. Taking turns insisting or demanding who should or shouldn't go and confront Amy Madison, who had recently blossomed from a boring, mean-spirited little piggy into a beautiful cheerleader, and apparently a murderous witch who had it in for Willow.</p><p>“HEY!!!” Willow finally shouted over both of her would be champions, no doubt pulling her infamous resolved face, having clearly had enough. “It's my fat in the fire hear, and my friend you both think is trying to kill me, so if anyone is going over there, I am! Come or don't come! Bring Buffy with you or the National Guard for all I care, but you are not going to 'vanquish' Amy without me seeing her face-to-face and giving her a chance to explain herself! Not by magic,” she elaborated, pointedly presumably to Giles, “and certainly not by cutting off her head!” she added, definitely talking to Sheila.</p><p>For a hot second, Xander was afraid that he would be forced to run downstairs and save Willow from Sheila's wrath. No teacher had ever spoken to Sheila like that without needing stitches, never mind another kid. And God Almighty knew that feeble old man couldn't stop her. He'd probably only been able to take Ira because he caught him by surprise or something.</p><p>But to Xander's amazement, Willow needed no one's protection. Sheila didn't just back down, she apologized! That was unprecedented. And then the two-faced killer librarian apologized too. “I'll be damned,” Xander muttered, then laughed quietly because that was surely true. But, more importantly, it was now clear that Willow wasn't just a member of the weird little group that hung around the Slayer, she was their leader!</p><p>Clearly at least one of them was willing to hurt her and to lie to her about it, and that was no good. But they both seemed not only afraid but ashamed to cross her, which meant that she was probably physically safe with them for the time being. Even this confrontation they were now all gearing up for didn't bother him much.</p><p>Amy couldn't have become that powerful of a witch in the short time since they had stopped hanging out with her, what, a little over a year ago? Between Willow's brains, the Slayer's strength, Sheila's meanness, and whatever magic Mr. Tall Drab &amp; Snotty had up his scratchy wool sleeves; Xander figured they could easily take her whether it came down to plan A or plan B.</p><p>And some day soon, in a few weeks or a few months, once he'd thought of a way to prove to Willow what she couldn't smell for herself (that Rupert Giles had murdered her father, leaving his distinctive pheromonal stench all over the body and the crime scene); then he would confront him. He would meet the son-of-a-bitch face-to-face and dare him to deny that he had shattered Willow's heart and thereby drastically dimmed the last light Xander could still follow to find his way home, the last thing on this earth that brought him joy.</p><p>Either that or he'd just rip the guy's face off and eat it in front of him. Xander was flexible on that point. Whatever felt right in the moment. Maybe he'd lobotomize the jerk with an ice pick, vamp him out, and keep him as a slave. Then they'd see who wore the smartiest pants around here.</p><p>Lost in these sweet thoughts, it took Xander a few moments to recognize the sound of a car pulling into Willow's garage, and a few more to realize what that meant. Maybe the Slayer was coming to pick them up? That would be bad enough. He had no idea how close she had to be to 'sense' him or whatever.</p><p>But that didn't matter now. Because what was actually happening was so much worse. Sheila Rosenberg was home. She must have left her 6:00 am lecture in the hands of her TA after all. Which meant Hell must have frozen over. Sheila decided to stay where she was. It was Ira who never wanted her there. Willow's mom could not have cared less who she hung out with.</p><p>But even she was bound to draw the line at middle-aged lechers stopping by for breakfast. Giles obviously thought so, because as Sheila Rosenberg was walking in through the kitchen, he was sprinting up the stairs, to hide in Willow's room and wait for her, as instructed.</p><p>That was for sure too close for comfort, but it was two doors down from Ira's office, where Xander was hiding. He figured that was still enough distance that he could resist the urge to slaughter that Smarmy, egg-headed asshole if he just kept reminding himself of what it would do to Willow and assuring himself that the time for that killing would come.</p><p>That might even have worked. If the creep could have followed directions and gone where Willow told him to. Instead, the door to Ira's office opened and shut. Quietly cursing the dimness in the shuttered room, the slightly-receding-hairline-having overage scuzball who had knocked up Xander's best should-have-been-more-than-a-friend and murdered her father in his own home flipped on the lights and turned to see two hateful eyes boring into him.</p><p>He gave a startled little, almost effeminate “Ah!” of surprise to find himself standing face-to-face with a vampire whose reasons for wanting him dead no human could have faulted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. What Passes for a Civilized Conversation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>BUFFY: You sounded like Mr. Initiative. Demons bad, people good.<br/>RILEY: Something wrong with that theorem?<br/>BUFFY: ... It's just... different with different demons.<br/>~BtVS 4.19 "New Moon Rising"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em><b>Oh bugger,” </b></em>Giles muttered crossly, immediately realizing his mistake. It was a sentiment fully shared by the incubus, which it too would have spoken aloud if it were able. As the vampire that probably still thought it was Xander Harris studied him with quiet malevolence, several harsh facts became clear to him at once. One, Willow knew the creature was in here and had tried deliberately to conceal it from him. Two, Willow trusted this vampire enough to believe its claims of innocence, and so, perhaps enough to hear it out if it accused him. Three, the vampire must know that he was the true instrument of Ira Rosenberg's destruction.</p><p>Thanks to his demon's 'improvements', Giles' scent was probably quite unique to a vampires sensitive powers of smell; and even with only Xander's brain to work with, it couldn't have been hard to work out how the same scent had gotten all over the crime scene downstairs and probably the body as well.</p><p>“You Motherfucker,” Xander confirmed, his voice harsh but quiet, holding an odd mix of admiration and contempt, “You've got a lot of balls showing your face around here,” Giles could hear the incubus cackling gleeful his head at the irony of Xander's chosen idiom. He ignored it and focused on the enemy in front of him.</p><p>“Strong words from a bloodsucking monster,” Giles countered, swallowing his fear and covering it with rage, managing to sound much more brave and calm than he actually felt. “How many people have you killed this week?”</p><p>“Exactly as many as you have,” Xander replied, his tone becoming almost conversational. <em>You noticed that too, how quiet he's being? He's not gonna throw down here. He doesn't want to get caught here anymore than you do.</em> Giles agreed but kept one hand wrapped around the cross in his pocket just in case. “The difference being Willow didn't love mine,” Xander continued to reproach him.</p><p><b>Someone did, </b>Giles almost said, but then thought better of it. That really wasn't the point here, and for a vampire, it never could be. Instead he countered, “Yours probably hadn't threatened Willow's life lately either.”</p><p>Xander let out a quiet, dismissive, mean little chuckle. “That's what you're going with? Good luck with that. I'm not buying it an neither will she.”</p><p><em>Ha!</em> the incubus interjected. <em>Do you see where we are? Practically inside his depraved little heart. There is probably enough evidence in this room to show even a mentally deficient bloodsucker like this who Ira Rosenberg really was. </em></p><p><b>True. </b>Giles admitted, taking in, among other things, shelf after shelf stuffed with black and white composition books identical to the one on the desk next to him, clearly marked 'Journal January 97 Vol. I'. There were also more than a dozen file cabinets with doors that locked. This was where the man had kept his secrets alright. He just hoped that neither Willow nor Xander (who seemed to have her ear, like it or not) would choose not to see the mountain of evidence right in front of them proving things they didn't want to know.</p><p><em>As long as we're here, we might as well give it a test run. Better to start with the one we might be able to kill if fighting ignorance with knowledge doesn't look like it's going to work.</em><b>I suppose you're right, </b>Giles admitted, tossing the most current journal to Xander, with a curt, confident “See for yourself.”He caught it with an easy, instinctive dexterity that he had never displayed in life, like a frog snatching a fly from midair with a flick of it's tongue.</p><p><em> Aren't we the cocky one today,</em>the incubus admonished, only half teasingly. <em> You could have at least glanced through it. What if that's a diet and fitness journal? </em><b>It's not. Take the word of a professional. This is the painstaking documentation of the work of decades or longer, meant to be passed on as a legacy.</b></p><p>“Great Greengoddess Dressing!” Xander gasped after thumbing through only a few papges of whatever Ira had written. <b>See</b>, Giles smirked inwardly. They both understood that the vampire-child's reversion to his former habit of elaborate pseudo cursing indicated genuine shock in contrast to his more recent use of genuinely foul language in the hopes of shocking and intimidating others.</p><p>When he looked up from the pages, his eyes were desperate. Their natural enmity temporarily forgotten, he half pleaded, half demanded, “Willow can never know about this. It might literally kill her.”</p><p>“If she doesn't know who killed him,” Giles explained with calm, firm conviction, “Then she need never know why.”</p><p>Xander gave him a guarded look, “How do I know you didn't plant this?”</p><p>“Humph!” Giles scoffed, before he could quite stop himself. Indication the rows upon rows of previous journal volumes, he pointed out, with only a bit less snark (<em>if that</em>), “I could have planted a forest faster.” <b>Well I could have!</b> <em>Nobody's disagreeing with you, I'm just saying it was snarky. </em><b>Touch</b><b>é.</b></p><p>Xander half-heartedly fumbled through a few of the older volumes before conceding the point. “Man, Good Old Ira Rosenberg was into some seriously messed up shit.”</p><p>Giles raised an eyebrow. “Quite an indictment considering the source, don't you think?”</p><p>Now it was Xander's turn to scoff. “You haven't read a word of these, have you?” he suggested, a dark chuckle in his voice.</p><p>“No,” Giles admitted, his confession rolling off his tongue, a tumult of contradictory conviction and regret. “I guessed at what they were based on the threats he made and the things he told me about his families' occult traditions and practices. He thought Willow's decision to keep the baby would disgrace the family, disgrace him. He said he'd see her dead first. I'd almost like to take credit for stopping him, as well as blame, but the truth is, I couldn't. He'd dealt with a demon and gained the power to read minds. I couldn't approach him with murder in my heart. My own demon had to take me over and do it while I was asleep.”</p><p>Xander looked at the Watcher quizzically. <em><b>Oh fuck! </b></em>“What do you mean, 'your' demon?”</p>
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